About

Landlord Bear is an advice animal image macro series featuring photoshopped images of the North American brown bear (a.k.a. Grizzly bear) wearing a royal crown and various captions poking fun at unethical behaviors and rhetorics stereotypically associated with a greedy landlord.

Origin

On October 2nd, 2014, the Facebook group “Landlord Bear” was created with a photoshopped image of a Grizzly bear wearing the crown of King George XII of Georgia (shown below).^[1][6] As of September 28th, 2015, the Facebook page has garnered more than 2,430 likes.

Spread

On the same day, a meme generator page based on the same image of the bear, cropped in the style of a square-dimension image macro, was posted to Imgur under the title “Landlord Bear.”^[2]

The meme has since spread to other image-sharing platforms and meme generator sites, including Imgur^[4] and Quickmeme.^[5] On September 25th, 2015, The Daily Dot interviewed the creator of the bear in character about his origin:^[3]

bq.I am just a simple hardworking Landlord who built himself a small multinational empire of caves and condos with his bear hands. Those bear hands being the Arthur K. Sherwood Construction Company, LLC. That’s a lot of hands. That is like 75 hands. All attached to tenant bears who I pay a fraction of their salary back to so they can afford to pay their own landlord’s rent. But to answer your question, yes--only stupid people and muskrats forget to inherit their money.

Notable Examples

Search Interest

not yet available

External References

About

#15SecondShakespeare is a series of short video clips in which the subject performs a dramatic reading of contemporary pop song lyrics in the style of Elizabethan literature, in a similar vein to the archaic rap image macro series.

Origin

The Elizabethan recital fad was first introduced in a video clip posted by British actor David Fynn via his Instagram account under the name “15 Second Shakespeare” on January 4th, 2015. In the 15-second video, Fynn performs a dramatic reading of the chorus from Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 dance pop hit single “Call Me Maybe” in a whispering voice.

Throughout January 2015, Fynn uploaded two additional recital clips with the hashtag #15SecondShakespeare, featuring Shakespearean renditions of Baha Men’s 2000 hit song “Who Let The Dogs Out” and Jamaican musician Ini Kamoze’s 1994 reggae song “Here Comes The Hotstepper” (shown below, left & center). However, Fynn’s hobby project largely went unnoticed until September 11th, when he posted a #15SecondShakespeare rendition of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song to his Instagram account (shown below, right). Within two weeks of upload, the post garnered 240 likes and 20 comments.

Spread

That same day, New York-based actor David Baynes uploaded an Instagram video post featuring his Shakespearean recital of Spice Girls’ 1996 hit single “Wannabe” (shown below, left). On September 12th, British actor Simon Riordan uploaded his #15SecondShakespeare rendition of Gwen Stefani’s 2004 solo debut single “Hollaback Girl” (shown below, right).

Throughout the month of September, hundreds of additional videos featuring dramatic recitals of pop song lyrics surfaced on Instagram and Twitter under the hashtag #15SecondShakespeare, largely driven by celebrity participation from dozens of well-known English-speaking actors and actresses, as well as the incorporation of a nomination process previously used in the 2014 viral dare game Ice Bucket Challenge.

Red Cross Donations

On September 23rd, David Fynn, the British actor who started the participatory video trend on Instagram, tweeted a message declaring the hashtag as a fundraising campaign for Red Cross to provide assistance in the ongoing European Migration Crisis. On the next day, the official British Red Cross blog^[17] ran a similar article promoting the fundraising aspect of the dramatic reading meme.

Search Interest

[not yet available]

External References

Gem Nicknames

Gem nicknames are collective names given to various Steven Universe characters by the fandom. The most prominent are “Birdmom” (Pearl), “Squaremom” (Garnet), “Green Space Dorito” sometimes just called “Space Dorito”, “Lime Dorito” or “Green Dorito” (Peridot) and “Big Buff Cheeto Puff” (Jasper), although “Moist Mom” sometimes called “Wet Mom” (Lapis Lazuli) is also starting to take a rise in popularity.

Origin

While there is no clear origin, as-of-current, many speculate that the meme originated from a violation-attempt on the Steven Universe Wiki, where an anonymous-editor switched the names of various characters for their own nicknames for said characters.

A road rage incident in Britain went viral.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQKSPEO6TzY

He claimed to be called Ronnie Pickering, however he was acting as if he was famous

In the video, he asked the man for a boxing fight.

About

#DonaldTrumpsGoogleHistory is a Twitter hashtag for mock search queries imagined to be found in the Google history of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Origin

On September 25th, 2015, Twitter users @spencedbyus and @charley_ck14 introduced the #DonaldTrumpsGoogleHistory^[1] hashtag on their shared feed @2GirlsAndATag^[2] (shown below).

Minutes later, each user posted the first mock search queries using the hashtag via their separate Twitter accounts (shown below).^[3][4]

Spread

That day, other Twitter users began posting mock Donald Trump search queries, many of which joked about his thinning hair, pop culture knowledge and political stances (shown below).^[5][6][7][8]

According to the Twitter analytics site Topsy,^[1] the hashtag was tweeted over 17,300 times in the first 72 hours. In the comings days, several news sites published articles about the hashtag, including UpRoxx,^[9] Bustle,^[10] AtlantaDailyWorld^[11] and Reuters.^[12]

Search Interest

Not available.

External References

Overview

The Hillary Clinton Email Controversy is a ongoing scandal involving former United States secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton became surrounded by controversy after it was discovered she used her private email server during her time as secretary of state.

Background

On March 2, 2015 The New York Times published an article revealing former Hillary Clinton used her own email server at the state department, instead of using her government issued one. Her aides did not save them on government servers and only certain classified materials are not saved, having these materials on her server would violate federal law.^[1] In an interview on March 10, Clinton stated she used the private server for “convenience”. She also stated she had deleted over 30,000 emails she considered “personal”.^[2]

Notable Developments

When Clinton’s server was obtained it was discovered to have been wiped. A thumb drive however was also brought forward. Classified material was found among the emails on the drive. Initially Clinton stated there was no classified materials among the emails but as of now her campaign spokespersons have downplayed it and called her a “recipient of unwitting information”. The discovery of classified emails prompted an ongoing investigation by the F.B.I.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References

Overview

Emily Bingham’s Fertility Shaming Rant refers to a Facebook blog post by freelance writer Emily Bingham,^[4] in which she advises readers to stop asking couples about their reproductive decisions, claiming the practice is insensitive and rude.

Background

On September 20th, 2015, Bingham posted an ultrasound photo found on Google image search to Facebook,^[1] followed by a message urging readers to avoid asking couples about their plans to have children. The post added that it can be hurtful to discuss reproductive decisions with those who are struggling with a variety of health and fertility-related issues.

In the comments section, Bingham revealed she was inspired to write the post by a friend who kept fielding questions about her reproductive choices after completing a year of exhaustive fertility treatments (shown below).^[10]

Notable Developments

In the first nine days, the post gained over 59,300 shares and 11,400 likes, with many praising Bingham for bringing attention to the sensitive issue. On September 28th, Redditor lufty submitted a post about the rant to the /r/childfree^[9] subreddit. The same day, an interview with Bingham aired on Good Morning America,^[3] in which she solemnly explained the reasoning behind the Facebook post (shown below).

In the coming days, several other news sites published articles about the online reaction to the blog post, including The Daily Dot,^[2] Metro,^[5] The Daily Mail,^[6]USA Today^[7] and Telegraph.^[8]

Search Interest

Not available.

External References

About

The Muppets are a franchise of musical and comedic puppet characters, usually furred with large protruding eyes and an oversized mouth, known for their large catalogue of television shows, films, and other media. The characters, who were created by Jim Henson and later acquired by Disney, have been a pillar of American culture since their formation in the 1960s, and are continuously used in new media, including memes.

History

Jim Henson first created Kermit the Frog in the 1950s for segments on Sam & Friends, a variety show, and gradually added the other characters.^[1] After launching Sesame Street, which has many characters operated in the Muppet style, Henson created The Muppet Show, a sketch comedy variety show featuring many of the most common Muppets of today, in 1976. The show’s popularity helped created the franchise, which as of September 2015 has been the basis for eight theatrical releases,^[9] nine separate television series, over twenty television specials, two direct-to-video releases, four web series, 15 original album releases, a theme park, six video games, and many other types of print and object-based merchandise. Jim Henson died in 1990, and the franchise was fully acquired by Disney in 2004.^[3]

The word muppet is a portmanteau of marionette and puppet, and was given to The Muppets to explain the signature technique by how the puppets are operated, by the combination of a hand fit into the body of the puppet and a rod operated by the other hand.

Film Adaptation (2011)

In 2011, The Muppets was released in American theaters. The film was meant as a renewal of the franchise, which had not released a full-length theatrical film since 1999’s flop Muppets from Space.^[8] Directed by Jason Segel, the film followed the Muppets, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, and others, as they attempted to restart their old film studio in Hollywood. The film was a huge success, obtaining a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes^[10] and reaping $165 million dollars at the box office worldwide.^[11]

TV Series Adaptation (2015)

On September 22nd, 2015, a new prime time sitcom entitled The Muppets" premiered on ABC. The series focused on the private lives of the characters, including the relationship between Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, as they create a late night talk show starring Miss Piggy. The show is executive produced by Bill Prady of "_The Big Bang Theory":/memes/subcultures/the-big-bang-theory and Bob Kushell of Anger Management and as of September 2015 it airs Tuesdays at 8 pm.^[12]

Online Presence

The Muppets have two online portals, one at ABC^[2] and one at Disney^[1]. They also maintain social media presences through official Facebook,^[13] Twitter,^[14] and Instagram accounts.^[15] There is also a dedicated Muppets subreddit, which as of September 2015 has over 4,000 subscribers.

Fandom

Notable Characters

Kermit the Frog

Kermit the Frog earliest incarnation aired on the television show Sam and Friends, which aired in 1955.^[1] The puppet wasn’t supposed to be a frog, but eventually became one during the 1960s. In the 1970s, he appeared on Sesame Street, often in the role of a news reporter, and later on The Muppet Show as the host of the program. Since then, Kermit has appeared most notably in various movies, including Muppet Treasure Island in 1996 and The Muppets in the 2011. Kermit is again the star of the new Muppets series of 2015.

Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy is a pig, known widely as Kermit the Frog’s romantic interest. She is known for her career as an entertainer, and in June 2015, she received the Sackler Center First Award from the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum.^[6] In August of 2015, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy announced that they were separating in advance of the new Muppets series premiering in fall of 2015.^[7]

Animal

Modeled after the drummer from the Who, Keith Moon, Animal is an integral part of the Muppets band. Animal doesn’t speak in proper English, and often communicates through gesture. He is known for his craziness and unpredictability.^[4]

Swedish Chef

The Swedish Chef is a chef who communicates with a comically thick and unintelligible Swedish accent, often using the word “Bork.” He is known for the physical comedy involved in his sketches.

Beaker

Beaker is a scientist who only speaks using the word “me” or variations on it (which often leads him to say the word “Meme” by accident). He often causes explosions in the laboratory he uses with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew.

Statler and Waldorf

These two old Muppets are very admired by trolls, as their roles on the show were often to insult the other characters from a stage balcony.^[5]

Other Notable Muppets^[4]

Related Memes

Mah Nà Mah Nà (Mahna Mahna)

Mah Nà Mah Nà is a popular song which is widely known for its use of comedy and tune. It’s also known for its use of reenactments and use of the lyrics.

Cee Lo Bird

Cee Lo Bird refers to the colorful costume worn by R&B singer / songwriter Cee Lo Green^[1] during his memorable performance of the hit single “F*ck You” (Forget You)^[2] at the 2011 Grammys Awards ceremony. The live segment also featured Oscars-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow and a band of muppets as back-up singers and dancers.

But That’s None of My Business

“But That’s None of My Business”:http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/but-thats-none-of-my-business is a sarcastic expression used as a postscript to an insult or disrespectful remark said towards a specific individual or group. The phrase was popularized through an image macro series featuring Kermit the Frog from The Muppets and punchlines poking fun at a wide range of faux-pas and questionable behaviors in everyday social situations.

I Has a Shuvel

I has a shuvel is lolspeak for “I have a shovel.” Statements concerning the posession of basic objectss is a common feature of many image macros, especially where the lolspeak word “has” is concerned; such as the Lolrus’ declaration “I has a bukkit” and of course, Happy Cat’s request of a cheezburger.
The image originated from the book “Muppet Babies Classic Nursery Rhymes” it was in the image for tongue twister “She Sells Seashells” pictured below.

Search Interest

External References

About

The Mount Chiliad Mystery is a well-known video game myth in the 2013 action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto V surrounding a series of enigmatic markings placed around Mount Chiliad, the largest mountain in th city of San Andreas, which are believed by many fans to contain clues for special in-game rewards.

Origin

Following the release of Grand Theft Auto V on September 17th, 2013, players discovered a large mural containing strange symbols inside the cable car station at the top of the Mount Chiliad (shown below). Following the discovery, many players began speculating that the mural was a map of the mountain itself and contained clues for discovering several in-game rewards, including a much anticipated jet pack item.

Spread

On September 20th, 2013, a page titled “Mount Chiliad Mystery” was created on the GTA Myths Wiki.^[4] On September 24th, the /r/chiliadmystery^[2] subreddit was launched for discussions and theories about the markings. On September 26th, YouTuber CVG uploaded a video titled “GTA 5 Conspiracy – The Incredible Mount Chiliad Mystery,” which explained various theories regarding the Mount Chiliad mural (shown below).

On December 5th, the blog TheChiliadMystery^[1] was launched for news and information about the Grand Theft Auto legend. On November 24th, 2014, the gaming news blog Kotaku^[3] published an article regarding the Internet discussions surrounding the mystery. On April 21st, 2015, Redditor Black_Hipster posted a theory that the Mount Chiliad clues were merely an elaborate prank left by game developers and did not have a solution.^[6] On May 13th, YouTuber CVG uploaded a video in which the narrators declared the mystery was “over” due to PC modifications that failed to find any secret Mount Chiliad locations in the game’s code (shown below).

Sasquatch Peyote

On September 23rd, Redditor rkRusty submitted a series of Grand Theft Auto V screenshots to /r/chiliadmystery,^[7] featuring the character Franklin eating peyote plants and transforming into a Sasquatch. Many speculated this may be linked to the mystery, as the Sasquatch character was rumored to be living around the Mount Chiliad.

Search Interest

External References

[WIP]

About

Julius Kieser Reaction is a reaction face on a fitness trainer Julius Kieser, used to display visible confusion and waning hope, most often towards things related to fat acceptance movement.

Origin

The reaction face originates from an episode of an Australian TV show Insight, named Fat Fighters. The episode was uploaded on YouTube on May 28th, 2013.

Spread

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References

About

Bwekfast is a clip from a video, in which a man with down syndrome, dressed up as the devil, pronounces the word “breakfast”. The clip has received remixes on YouTube, as well as other sites, specifically Vine.

Origin

The film was created by Shoot Your Mouths Off Films^[1], a production company specialized for disabled people. In the video, the devil leads the protagonist to do negative things including eating a meal called “Judgement Day” for breakfast.

The original saying of the phrase happens at 2:17.

Spread

Many clips of the phrase appear on YouTube. The combined views of 7 of the most popular versions of the video ends up being over 200,000,000 views. On Vine, the most popular version of the clip has 12,000 loops.

Search Interest

External References

About

Barack Obama at Exit Glacier is a sign-holdingexploitable featuring an image of United States President Barack Obama leaning on a mile marker-style sign in the forest. The images are usually altered to change the number or text appearing on the sign.

Origin

On September 1st, 2015, Barack Obama posted a portrait of himself to the White House Instagram account, featuring him standing next to a mile marker-style sign reading 1961.^[1] Obama was hiking the Exit Glacier in Alaska, and learning about how glaciers recede, and is therefore dressed casually and wearing sunglasses; he perhaps chose this marker because it is the year of his birth.

Spread

The image received over 38,100 likes in the first month after it was posted. On September 2nd, 2015, the image was posted in the subreddit /r/photoshopbattles, where it received only 4 responses and six upvotes.^[2] On September 4th, 2015, the image was posted in two places with the same edit and the same caption: the sign in both read 420, along with the caption “Michelle, quick, stop the car.” This image and caption combination was first posted in the subreddit /r/trees, where it received 4,895 points (93% upvoted),^[4] and several hours later it was tweeted the twitter user EYEAMJIGSAW. This tweet received 10,077 retweets and 11,659 favorites.^[3] This variation of the image is the most propagated as of September 30, 2015.

Notable Examples

Search Interest

not yet available

External References

About

Aaron Benitez (online pseudonym VfxBro) is a virtual effects artist and small films producer who is known for his YouTube series Aaron’s Animals. After successfully launching a wedding video business and a Adobe After Effects assistance service, Aaron launched his first YouTube channel in 2010 to host his creative projects as well as tutorials on virtual effects for videos done for fellow YouTuber Zach King’s channel.

Online History

Early History

[researching]

VfxBro

Aaron first launched his VFXBROYouTube channel^[2] in December of 2010 as a venue for promoting his filming services and Adobe After Effects tutorials. Later videos featured behind the scenes tutorials of his collaborations with other YouTubers such as FinalCutKing.

Aaron later registered the website vfxbro.com^[8] in late 2011, which he then used as a venue for selling his advanced Adobe After Effects tutorials and custom made products.

Aaron’s Animals

[researching]

Social Media Presence

[researching]

Collaborations

Zach King / FinalCutKing

Zach King

Logan Paul

Logan Paul

Truth Campaign Ad

On September 7th, 2015, Aaron posted^[12] to his Facebook timeline that he had helped contribute to the Truth campaigns “It’s A Trap!” video which aired during the 2015 MTV Music Video Awards. During the video, Aaron’s cat, Prince Michael, can be seen with the caption “It’s A Trap!” underneath him.

Personal Life

[researching]

Search Interest

External References

About

Inside the Cake is an exploitable image series spawned from the 2015 MLP movie Equestria Girls: Friendship Games. It typically consists of images with three panels; characters Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are shown in the first two panels displaying the inside of a cake, while the third panel shows the reactions of Celestia, Luna, and Cadence.

Origin

The frames used in the meme are taken from the 2015 My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic spin-off movie, Equestria Girls: Friendship Games.^[1] During the judging of a cake-baking contest, Pinkie Pie is shown cutting her cake in two and sliding one half away to reveal a reproduction of The Mona Lisa^[2] by Leonardo da Vinci (shown below).

The scene begins at around 37:20 in the following video:

Spread

The first use of the scene as an exploitable image set was most likely a thread on 4chan’s /mlp/ board.^[3] It began with the OP posting three sequential frames from the original movie; later in the thread, another user suggested that the middle frame would work as a template for an exploitable meme (shown below).

Crossovers with other memes and injokes within the MLP fandom are common. Examples include “That Was a Terrible Surprise” (below, left), “Pinkie’s Refrigerator” (below, center), and the Lyravator GIF (below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

Currently unavailable.

External References

MASSIVEWORK IN PROGRESS

About

Hammer Time is a catchphrase, often used on Image Macros.

Origin

U Can’t Touch This is a song written by MC Hammer and realeased in January 13th, 1990.

Spread

Various Examples

Search Interest

Work in progress.

About

“It’s Me Austin!” is a memorable quote uttered by the wrestler Mr.McMahon (played by Vince McMahon) after revealing himself as the Greater Power in Raw is War. Online, the scene has been used on remixes and the quote has been parodied, normally accompanied with the catchphrase “It Was Me All Along!”.

Origin

On WWE, during the late 90’s there was a feud between The Corporation led by Vince McMahon and The Ministry led by The Undertaker. They were fighting each other for dominance, and together feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin. After a plot involving The Undertaker kidnapping McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie, and Stone Cold rescuing her, The Undertaker talked about how he was only a pawn for the “Higher Power”, which later revealed itself to Stone Cold. On June 7th, 1999, during a RAW show, Vince McMahon revealed himself to be the Higher Power and yelled “IT’S ME, AUSTIN! IT’S ME, AUSTIN! IT WAS ME ALLALONG, AUSTIN!”^[6]

Search Interest

External References

About

Shower Time Diesel Jeans is a parody video series on Vine based off a short clip of a man standing shirtless in his bathroom while listing several things that will be accompanying him during an imminent shower.

Origin

In early September 2015, an unknown Vine^[1] user uploaded a clip of himself standing shirtless in a bathroom while saying the words “Shower time: Adderall, a glass of whiskey and Diesel Jeans” (shown below). The Vine was subsequently removed. On September 15th, the soulja boy fan account Vine channel reuploaded the video, where it gained over three million loops, 46,000 likes 27,000 revines and 10,000 comments within three weeks.

Precursor

While it is unclear from the video, the original Viner may have been expressing his intent to take a shower while wearing the pair of Diesel jeans. On July 1st, 2007, YouTuber ronnski76 uploaded a video of himself showering while wearing Diesel Jeans (shown below, left). On November 7th, 2009, YouTuber keithm61 uploaded a similar video in which he showers while wearing a pair of jeans (shown below, right). On August 7th, 2011, Denim Blog Forums^[2] user Karajan2 submitted a thread titled “Shower in your jeans!”, in which he espoused the practice as “sensual” and “an effective way to keep your jeans in great shape.”

Spread

On September 17th, Twitter user @thenickcolletti^[4] posted a tweet quoting the original Vine video, garnering upwards of 1,700 favorites and 500 retweets in two weeks (shown below).

On September 18th, Viner mr. don kleon uploaded a slideshow of screen captures from the original Vine with dramatic music playing in the background (shown below, left). On September 24th, Viner Juh’Mullen uploaded a parody video in which he lists “heroin, a gallon of milk and Diesel shorts” while standing in his bathroom (shown below, right).

On September 28th, Viner Shane Walks Left uploaded a parody in which he says “Shower time. Crack cocaine, can of tuna and tuna jeans” (shown below, left). The same day, Viner ScentedCandles uploaded a parody video in which he shows off two pairs of Diesel Jeans and displays a smart phone screen with a picture of actor Vin Diesel (shown below, right). On September 29th, 2015, Viner^[3] iToradora reuploaded the original Vine. That day, the men’s interest blog Esquire^[5] published an article about the parody series. Additional parody videos have been uploaded to Vine under the tags “#showertime”^[6] and “#dieseljeans.”^[7]

Search Interest

Not available.

External References

About

Peeple is an upcoming application set for release in November 2015 that will allow users to post public reviews for people they know in real life. The app has been called a “Yelp for people” and has been widely criticized for its omission of an “opt-out” feature for those who do not wish to participate.

History

On August 9th, 2015, an app page for Peeple was created on Facebook.^[1] That day, the Peeple YouTube channel posted several videos with the app’s co-founders Nicole McCullough and Julia Cordray, including a behind-the-scenes episodic reality series titled “Peeple Watching Webisode” (shown below).

Features

The app will allow users over the age of 21 with valid Facebook accounts to review other people selected under the relationship categories “personal,” “professional” or “romantic.” To add a new person to the database, their personal phone number must be provided. Positive reviews submitted will be displayed immediately, while negative reviews will remain in queue for 48 hours to be disputed by registered users. If a user has not registered to the app, only positive reviews will be displayed on their profile.

Criticism

The app has been criticized by many as an invasion of privacy and a potentially harmful harassment tool. On September 21st, 2015, CBC News^[6] published an article titled “Peeple app lets you rate human beings like restaurants.” In the comments section of the post, several readers expressed a wariness toward the app (shown below). The following day, The Daily Dot^[5] published an article about the app, which noted that Internet commenters were giving the app “low ratings.”

On September 30th, The Washington Post^[2] published an article titled “Everyone you know will be able to rate you on the terrifying ‘Yelp for people’”, which described the app as “invasive” “objectifying” and “weirdly dystopian.” The same day, Fortune^[4] published an article titled “There will soon be a Yelp for people -- and it sounds truly awful.” On October 1st, Redditor mwcope submitted a post to /r/OutOfTheLoop^[3] asking “What is Peeple, and why is Twitter angry about it,” to which several users cited the many privacy concerns about the application. The same day, BBC News^[8] published an article about the online backlash toward the application.

Search Interest

Not available.

External References

About

Smash the Like Button, often shortened to Smash the Like or “Smash the Likes”, is a command often added to posts on YouTube or social networks imploring users to boost the like counts of the content.

Origin

The exact origin of smash the like is unknown, however it is probably a mutation of the video game term “button smash,” which means to rapidly press a single button, usually during a quicktime play event. The phrase most likely originated on YouTube with gaming vloggers, who still use it frequently. The earliest known video using the phrase in its description was posted on December 13th, 2012 by YouTube user akstuck1, and as of October 2015, the video has 4,739 views and 32 likes. The description read “Yoooo Crazy Nation! Subscribe if you like this video. Crazy people smash the like button!”

Spread

As of October 2015, there are over 203,000 results for smash the like on YouTube. #smashthelikebutton has almost 300 posts on Instagram, and on Twitter the term is used at a rate of between 25 and 75 times per day.

Who Up Click Like

A recent mutation on smash the like, who up click like creates the same demand of people who may be awake and looking at their social media posts late at night. This is often used in tandem with smash the like and real nigga hours in social media posts. On Instagram especially, these posts are styled in the same way as real nigga hours, with a poorly compressed image.^[5]

Notable Examples

Search Interest

Not yet available.

External References

Overview

2015 Umpqua Community College Shooting was a mass shooting that took place on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Roseberg, Oregon.

Background

At 10:38 a.m. (PDT) on October 1st, 2015, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received the first 911 emergency call about a gunman walking through several campus buildings and shooting people indiscriminately at Umpqua Community College in Roseberg, Oregon. The gunman killed nine people and injured seven others before he died during a shootout with police officers who arrived on the scene. According to multiple witnesses, the shooter reportedly asked several students their religion before shooting them.

The Shooter’s Identity

The shooter was identified as Chris Harper-Mercer by authorities. According to a neighbor Mercer “seemed really unfriendly." Mercer was born in England and traveled to the U.S. as a child. A review of army records from Fort Jackson, South Carolina show that Mercer served there from November to December 2008 but was discharged for failing to meet the minimum standards to be in the United States Army.

Notable Developments

4chan /r9k/ post

Shortly after the news broke, rumors began circulating that the shooter had warned of a school shooting in the Northwest on 4chan’s /r9k/ board the previous day (shown below). In the following hours, the thread became flooded with varying reactions and the archived copy was subsequently picked up by several news outlets. By 7:39 p.m. (EST), the New York Times had reported that federal law enforcement officials are examining the conversation, as well as other social media footprints, to try to determine whether any of it was linked to the gunman.

“”:/photos/1024365

Social Media Presence

On the next day, a number of social media profile pages linked to the shooter surfaced in the news media, including a Myspace profile page featuring a photograph believed to be Mercer holding a rifle and a series of posts praising the Irish Republican Army, an online dating profile in which he describes himself as “conservative, republican" and a blog post expressing sympathy for Vester Flanagan.

“On an interesting note, I have noticed that so many people like him are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are. A man who was known by no one, is now known by everyone. His face splashed across every screen, his name across the lips of every person on the planet, all in the course of one day. Seems the more people you kill, the more you’re in the limelight.”

Reactions

President Barack Obama stated “[Thoughts and prayers do] not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel, and it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted some place else in America next week or a couple months from now.” The event has also reignited gun control debate. Presidential candidate Marco Rubio stated however “Criminals don’t follow gun laws. Only law-abiding people follow gun laws. And there is just no evidence that these gun laws would prevent these shootings.”^[3]

External References